Beijing Temples: Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian Temples 北京寺
Beijing has some spectacular temples on offer for the visitor such as the world-famous Temple of Heaven and the colorful Lama Temple.
However there are 100s of lesser-known temples scattered throughout the city, which are often oases of peace and quiet away from the busy streets of the Chinese capital.
Temple of Heaven
One of the must-sees on any trip to Beijing, the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) is one of the city's most recognizable and famous landmarks. The Temple of Heaven was visited twice a year by the Chinese emperors in solemn rituals to prayer for bountiful harvests in spring and to report to heaven on the year's events at the winter solstice. It is best to arrive early at Tiantan to beat the crowds of tourists bussed in.
Lama Temple
Originally an aristocratic home of a future emperor in the eighteenth century, the lively, colorful Lama Temple in the Dongcheng district of Beijing bustles with tourists and worshippers. The Lama Temple houses some impressive Buddhist statues and an interesting museum of Tibetan Buddhist art. The final temple hall holds an 18m tall statue of Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. On the last day of the first lunar month the Lama Temple hosts a "Devil Dance" by the monks wearing outrageous masks to scare away evil.
Confucius Temple
A restored temple dedicated to the great scholar and teacher Confucius. The Confucius Temple grounds in Beijing hold 198 stone tablets engraved with the names of scholars who passed the notoriously difficult imperial examinations. Next door to the Confucius Temple is the Imperial College where students swotted up on the Chinese classics.
The Confucius Temple grounds maintain a quiet and studious atmosphere and people from the local hutong come to unwind and chat.
Dongyue Temple
The Dongyue Temple, on Chaoyangmen Dajie, was built over 700 years ago has survived a turbulent history. Dongyue Temple is now a Taoist oasis of calm in bustling new Beijing. This is the shrine to God Dongyue, who according to Daoist belief was the divine ruler of China. It is he who was said to preside over the many weird and wonderful departments that are represented around the perimeter walls of the temple.
Baiyun Temple (White Cloud Temple; 白雲觀)
Baiyun Temple (White Cloud Temple; 白雲觀) is an historic Taoist temple and monastery south of the Capital Museum and east of Beijing West Station. The temple is known for its lively temple fair on the 19th day of the first lunar month.
Baiyun Temple originally dates from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in the mid-8th century. At this time is was an important state-controlled institution.
The temple grounds hold many fine buildings. These include many dated from the 17th century. The Yuhuang Hall, Sanqing Hall, Laolü Hall and Qiuzu Hall are the most important.
Sleeping Buddha Temple Wofo Si
The Sleeping Buddha Temple (卧佛寺) is located about 15 minutes from the front gate of Beijing Botanical Gardens, and is a must-see for visitors to the gardens. The whole temple complex contains four halls and courtyards with a colored glass screen, a pool and stone bridge in front, with Shouan Mountain forming a picturesque backdrop. Located next to the Temple, Wofo Si Hotel is a nice option for an overnight stay - the hotel's rooms are in traditional courtyard style and there is also a large restaurant and swimming pool.
The temple itself, originally named Dousuai Temple, was built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The temple's centrepiece is a huge effigy of Sakyamuni weighing 54 tonnes, which apparently "enslaved 7,000 people" in its casting. On each side of Buddha are sets of huge shoes, gifts to Sakyamuni in case he wanted to go for a walk. Above him are the suitably apt characters "Zizai dade", meaning "great accomplishment comes from being at ease".
Tianning Temple 天寧寺
Tianning Temple (Temple of Heavenly Tranquility) lies a kilometer due south of Baiyun Temple. It is most famous for its 12th century solid, brick and stone pagoda. The octagonal structure dates from the late Liao Dynasty. 57.8 meters in height, the pagoda has a veranda with banisters but is completely solid with no internal staircase. The exterior of the pagoda is decorated with stunning relief sculptures of Buddhist iconography. The pagoda replaced an earlier wooden structure from the 7th-century Sui dynasty.
Beijing Temple Fair
It is a tradition to go to temple fairs during the Chinese Spring Festival or Chinese New Year celebrations. Beijing, as the culture capital of China, has a large number of temples. Temple fairs used to be an event of worship, in which people might pray for happiness, peace and luck. The modern temple fair has a wider variety of activities like worship, shopping, and recreation.
Watch a video of this temple fair at the Temple of Earth.
Beijing Temple Video
Map of Beijing Temples
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